


but there's a boy who smiles with flowers in his heart and light in his hair

by masaomi



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Childhood Friends, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-07
Updated: 2015-01-07
Packaged: 2018-03-06 11:57:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3133604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/masaomi/pseuds/masaomi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>a short timeline of eren jaeger and the home he found.</em>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	but there's a boy who smiles with flowers in his heart and light in his hair

A boy moved in across the street when Eren was six years old.

And when Eren was old enough to see his past with objective clarity, he realized that at six years old his heart began to beat to the breathing of another, and he’s pretty sure gravity changed its source to a boy with hair like the sun and eyes like the sea. 

\---

A boy moved in across the street when Eren was six years old. 

Eren kicked the ball straight into the tire of the moving truck, eliciting a surprised warning and a gruff stare from the driver. Glaring back, Eren grabbed Mikasa and peered around the edge of the vehicle. She sighed and tugged at his hand, pulling him forward suddenly, and so, sputtering, Eren’s first encounter with Armin was one of embarrassment and dust on his knees. 

Quickly jumping to his feet, Eren tried to understand the inexplicable heat in his face. The blonde (and his hair was as bright as the sun, as yellow the daffodils Eren had mercilessly picked in April) looked confusedly at Mikasa, who was currently making faces at Eren, and began to giggle.

Looking back, Eren figured that was when it all ended ( _began, really_ ).

\---

Groaning, Eren flung his head back onto the seat of the couch. 

“Why does it seem like you’re getting _better_ at this? It’s my game!” He crossed his arms and glared at Mikasa. “ _I’ve_ played it more!” 

Mikasa shrugged, turning her head quickly to avoid the smirk growing wider on her face to be seen by Eren. “Eren, we were on the same team. It’s not like it mattered.” 

They both turned their heads at a loud crash on the television. Armin was concentrating intensely on the screen. 

“It’s ok, Eren! I’ll help you the best I can!” Armin, however, had never played the game before in his life. Eren and Mikasa watched as he was flattened by the rolling boulder (twice…three times…four times…).

After the sixth flattened avatar, Eren reached out his hand for the controller, shoulders shaking and mouth twitching. 

“Armin, thank you, but, uh, I think I should probably teach you which button is ‘jump’, first.” 

Earnestly, the blonde nodded. “Thanks!” He turned to face the screen again. “Then I’ll defeat _all_ these zombies, I promise!”

Unable to keep straight faces after watching Armin clench his fist and stare darkly at the pixelated henchmen, Eren and Mikasa broke down laughing. They weren’t laughing _at_ Armin, of course, ( _never at Armin I could never laugh at Armin_ ) but his resolve to help.

Confused at first, Armin realized he was making a fist and sheepishly smiled, and, ok, as Eren laid back on his bed at night, he was pretty sure that grin had been the best part of his day. He was so lucky. Armin was so cute and funny and awesome and _cute_ and the best friend ever (aside from Mikasa, of course) and he was absolutely certain that — 

Eren fell asleep. 

(— and that Armin was _perfect_.)

\---

At eleven, Eren met Jean Kirschstein. 

“—telling you, he’s my absolute _worst_ enemy, Armin, this guy is a major jerk—” 

“Eren, I think you’re overreacting. Marco’s really nice, and Jean’s his best friend.” Armin nodded his head. “Therefore, Jean has to be nice, or at least decent, to even be able to hang out with Marco.” Eren sneered and shook his head, wildly flinging his arms as he stomped across his lawn.

“No _way_. Armin, you haven’t even met this guy. Trust me, if you had, you’d totally agree with me.” Eren turned to Mikasa to affirm his statement; she rolled her eyes and cocked an eyebrow.

“Eren, you only hate Jean this much because he outran you in that stupid footrace at recess.” She hopped down from her perch on the half-wall separating the Ackerman and Jaeger houses and punched Eren lightly in the arm. “Your manliness just won’t let it go.” 

Armin thoughtfully glanced toward his house as the two kept bickering.

“Why don’t we invite him over?” Gaping, Eren stood speechless as Armin shrugged. “Then we could judge him fairly.”

Gasping incoherently, Eren made spitting noises of dissent as Mikasa scrunched her brow, considering. “You know, Armin, I did promise Sasha that she come hang out at my house.”

His face lit up. “And with Sasha will come Connie, of course. Then, we can ask Connie to bring Marco, who can bring Jean!” Armin exclaimed. 

Mikasa smirked. “There, Eren, now at least it’ll be a larger crowd.”

Looking traumatized and betrayed, Eren slowly sat down on the grass, head in his hands. 

“Jean . . . Jean on my street . . . Jean near my house . . . Jean _at_ my house . . .” Armin and Mikasa rolled their eyes at his despondent muttering. “Jean . . .” He paused, mouthing Jean’s name, mind whirring. Armin attempted a cartwheel as he waited for Eren to speak.

Eren jumped up, eyes blazing. “We’ll have another damn footrace,” Armin gasped slightly at the use of the explicative. “This time, I’ll beat him _for sure_.” 

Mikasa gave a long-suffering sigh while Eren turned to Armin and grabbed his shoulders. 

“I’ll show you, Armin. That stupid Kirschstein has got _nothing_ on me.” Armin blinked as Eren shook him faintly. “You’ll root for me, right?” Armin laughed cheerfully.

“Eren, of course I’ll cheer for you. I’m sure you’ll win, too!” Eren’s smile grew even wider, and he beamed. 

“Armin, you’re the _best_.”

\---

“Oh my _god_ , we have so much fucking homework tonight.” Eren groaned as he draped himself over Armin’s bed. 

Not glancing away from his laptop screen, Armin shook his head. “Eren, it’s junior year of high school.” 

Eren’s head, which had been drowning in Armin’s pillow, lifted to snort cynically. “ _Exactly_. I need to prepare for my senior slide.” He flipped onto his back and folded his hands behind his head. “Junior year is, like, the baby waterslide you bruise your butt on before you can get to the mega, 2000 foot one.”

Armin stared disbelievingly at Eren. “Did you _honestly_ just compare junior and senior year to a water park?” Looking upside-down at Armin, who had finally turned in his swivel chair to face Eren, the dark-haired boy smirked and shrugged his shoulders. 

“It got your attention, at least.” Armin sighed and shook his head, turning back to his computer screen and adjusting his glasses. 

“You know, Jean is doing better than you in English _and_ physics, at the very least.” At Armin’s soft mutter, Eren shot up and narrowed his eyes. “I heard Connie and Marco talking about it. What a _shame_ it would be if he ended up qualifying for more advanced classes than you!” 

Hissing, Eren stood, cursed, and rifled through his backpack. 

Armin waited. Then – 

“Uh, Armin.”

“Yes, Eren.”

“Can I borrow your notes?”

\---

When the diplomas had been received, the caps thrown, and the tears shed, Eren fled the scene of misty-eyed parents and teachers (with a myriad of expressions) with Mikasa and Armin to seek quiet. 

Plopping down on the grass, Eren stared up at the cerulean sky. 

“Can you believe it’s over?”

Armin and Mikasa shared a glance. 

“No, Eren, you’re not allowed to say that. You’ve pestered me and Armin for _months_ about how much you wished you could just leave school immediately.”

“Yeah, Eren,” Armin quietly sat next to him on the grass and leaned back with a small smile. “Don’t get sentimental now.”

Eren flicked his eyes over to the blonde. 

“Sorry, Armin.” Armin jerked.

“No fiery comeback? Graduation’s changed you, Eren.” He threw his head back and laughed a little. 

Blushing, Eren nudged his best friend. 

“Not true, ok. I just – ” Eren turns to face Armin, suddenly. 

“I just want to make you happy.”

Armin’s face, now red, flushed even more as Mikasa deliberately remarked to herself about how beautiful this day had turned out. He stuttered, “T-Thank you, Eren, but I’m happy just being here with you!” Armin grinned, still pink in the face. “I’m so happy I met you both!”

Eren swore he could hear angels singing. 

\---

A boy moved in across the street when Eren was six years old.

And, as Eren lies in bed next to a man with a glow to rival the stars and a heart made of gold and steel, he quietly admits to himself that, ok – 

Maybe he’s a little in love.

**Author's Note:**

> wahhhhh im sorry this is dumb and short ;;; i've had it sitting on my computer for so long i just wanted to get rid of it. this is another thrilling example of how im physically incapable of writing over, like, 2k rip me. thank you for reading ahhh sry if it was cliche and poopy :((
> 
> also _wow_ can u say cheesy ooc goodness at the ending omg im embarrassed reading it ahhh sorry
> 
> also if u wanna yell at me for posting this bc it was bad or if u wanna talk eremin to a big sappy dweeb pls visit me at hidyoshi.tumblr.com weeeeeeee thank you!!


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